My Brother's Girlfriend
by miss.full.of.light
Summary: AU/AH. When Klaus told his brother Kol to get his head together, he didn't necessarily mean for him to start the first serious relationship of his life with a woman so beautiful. He didn't mean to fall in love with her either. Kol/Caroline, eventually Klaus/Caroline. Rated M for smut. Winner of the Best OT3 Fiction category at the '13 Klaroline Awards.
1. Chapter 1

**AU/AH. When Klaus told his brother Kol to get his head together, he didn't necessarily mean for him to start the first serious relationship of his life with a woman so beautiful. He didn't mean to fall in love with her either. Kol/Caroline, eventually Klaus/Caroline.**

**A/N: This idea randomly popped into my head and I just couldn't shake it out so I decided to write it down. I don't exactly have a good track record with multi-chaptered fanfictions, but I'm very excited about this one so hopefully if you'll like it enough, I will be able to see it through. I'm actually so excited about this story that I made a notebook full of information and notes about it, like the characters' ages, a little of background, stuff like that... just in case I end up forgetting something, which is totally like me. So, if you would like to know any additional fact, just ask me and I will be more than happy to tell you.**

**Now, enough jibber jabber, as Kol would say, and on with the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I still can't believe Kol is actually bringing a girl home," Rebekah voiced everyone's thoughts while placing the last plate on the long, marble table in the very spacious dining room of the Mikaelson household.

"Seems like your speech had the exact effect we were hoping for, Niklaus," Elijah said while adjusting the lapels of his dark, tailored suit.

Klaus smirked, "Oh, I wouldn't know. He could always be playing us."

Rebekah grimaced, but shook her head, "I doubt that. I mean, he wouldn't bring home some strumpet with the kids around."

Shrugging, Klaus looked towards his sister-in-law, Elijah's wife Katherine, playing with their three-year-old son Daniel in the adjacent room. Their other brother Finn and his wife Sage, with their twins Caspar and Cassidy, currently five years old, were upstairs, freshening up after having just arrived from the airport.

Eventually, he sighed, "I wouldn't put that past Kol, truth to be told."

It was no secret Kol was the so-called 'black sheep' of the Mikaelson family; he was immature, reckless, and got a kick out of putting himself in trouble most of the time. Three months ago, after bailing him out of jail for what seemed like the millionth time for disorderly conduct, Klaus—the brother Kol respected and looked up to the most despite the fact that Elijah was indeed the oldest one—had a good, long talk with him. He couldn't just keep on wasting his life like that. He was still young, and certainly he had both the brains and the chance to set things straight. However, nobody expected such a self-proclaimed womanizer like him to start getting his head together by engaging a rather serious relationship with a girl for the very first time in his life. But hey, they were going to take whatever suited him.

"Maybe he'll just show up alone," Rebekah speculated. "A big, early April Fool's for everyone."

Elijah chuckled. "You seem to forget I _saw_ the girl, Rebekah."

"Couldn't he have just hired someone to deceive you?"

"Kol is not _that_ cunning, dear sister. And he's been working very diligently at the firm these past few months. Maybe our brother really did change."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. Kol was pretending to have become a bit of a workaholic and now he was Elijah's favorite sibling, go figure. "Kol is Kol, Elijah. He'll _never_ change."

"So you're not even a bit impressed that he's actually managed to keep a job for more than two days?" Klaus interjected, placing a couple of bottles of red wine on the perfectly set table.

"When said job is at the family's law firm? Erm, no. I'm not buying that."

Klaus chuckled, "You do have a point, but I think you're just jealous because you're the only single sibling in the family now."

No need for his family to know he had dumped Camille a month ago already, they worried way too much about his love life, or lack thereof.

Glaring menacingly at her older brother, Rebekah huffed in annoyance, "Whatever, let's just get this over with."

The three siblings talked for a while longer, soon joined by Finn, Sage, and Katherine as the twins happily entertained and looked after Daniel.

"No third degree on the girl, please," Elijah said, looking pointedly at his wife.

Katherine rolled her eyes at her husband's antics, "Don't worry about me. You said she seemed nice, so I'll give her the time of a day."

"Nice? Doesn't exactly seem like Kol's type then," Finn laughed, sipping some of his wine.

"I believe it was about time he met someone like Caroline. She seems to keep him with his feet on the ground. They really complement each other. You'll see once they get here. Kol is a whole new person around her."

Rebekah snorted, "Let's see how long that lasts."

"Well, it has lasted three months already," Sage pointed out. "That's definitely a lot longer than Kol usually keeps his girls around for."

"Try to be happy for our brother, Rebekah," Elijah reproached her softly. "Don't scare the girl off. Kol said this is important to him. _She _isimportant to him."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, arms crossed over her chest, "Alright. I'm sure Kol can fend for himself anyway."

Klaus chuckled, "You _fear_ for our brother? I'd fear for the poor girl."

Rebekah shook her head lightly, "You don't get it, Nik. Boys like you and Kol—all macho-like and cocky—are the ones who end up getting hurt the most when they actually fall for a girl."

"She's right," Katherine quipped. "Girls are evil schemers; she's probably a gold digger."

"Enough," Elijah interrupted with a raised, annoyed tone. "This is exactly what we don't need. No harsh or hurried judgments, please."

The doorbell rang then, and everyone in the room tensed slightly.

"I'll go get the door," Elijah offered, raising from his chair at the head of the table. "Get the kids seated in the meantime, _please_."

_(...)_

"Don't be agitated, darling," Kol tried to soothe Caroline's nerves as they exited the car and made their way towards the door of his brother Elijah's house.

Caroline sighed.

"_I wasn't_, but, ugh, _look at the house_!" she half whispered, half shrieked, on the verge of a panic attack.

Kol chuckled lightly, taking her hand in his and intertwining their fingers, "Don't be silly. It doesn't matter."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, I doubt that. Your family is going to be all fancy and sophisticated and I'll be, well, _me_."

"Which means perfect," he added, drawing patters on the back of her hand, earning himself an adorable glare from Caroline. "It's true. And you know _me_, and you already met Elijah, so you know my family is not like that."

"_No_, I know _you _and_ Elijah_ are not like that."

It was Kol's turn to roll his eyes, "Trust me, love, they will be on their best behavior."

'_Which, truth to be told, wasn't saying much when it came to the Mikaelson family'_, he thought, but she really didn't need to know that.

Caroline turned towards Kol, letting go of his hand to bring her arms around his neck. She sighed, "It's just a lot of pressure to know that I'm the first girl you ever brought to meet your family."

Kol grinned, bringing his arms around her waist to pull her closer, "And hopefully the last one, but, yeah, no pressure."

She glared at him, her cheeks now red both for the cold air of the Manhattan's February and for his intense stare and words.

"That helped, thanks," she mumbled sarcastically.

"Always, love."

Lowering his head, Kol touched Caroline's lips lightly, "Come on now, before we freeze to death."

_(...)_

It took Elijah only a minute to get to the door. He composed himself and then opened it, a genuine, wide smile on his face as he greeted his brother and his girlfriend.

"Kol, Caroline, I'm glad to see you made it here safely."

Kol rolled his eyes, "It's not like you live in the middle of nowhere, brother. We made it here just fine."

He looked down at Caroline, winking, remembering just _how_ fine their trip had been, especially their fifteen minutes stop in the reserved area of the highway.

She elbowed him in the ribs, looking up at him warily. He just rolled his eyes again, "Chill, love, he's my brother."

Elijah slightly shook his head at his younger sibling's antics, opening the door further to allow the couple in, taking their coats.

"Thank you, Elijah," Caroline said politely. "For having us, too. You have a beautiful house."

"Thank you, Caroline. Although, I do have to admit that is more my wife's doing than mine. And I'm more than happy to have you here. Kol barely visits, so it was quite a pleasant surprise when he asked me to get the family together to officially introduce you to us."

Caroline blushed, bringing her bottom lip between her teeth nervously.

"See? No pressure, love," Kol teased, earning himself a death glare which he pointedly ignored. "Where are the others?"

"In the dining room. We should all be about ready for the main course, so you can join them while I inform the kitchen."

Kol took Caroline's hand in his again, leading her towards the dining room.

"Right, _the kitchen_," she half mocked. "Why have I, for a single moment, thought this family didn't have a personal cook?"

"Ah, ah, love. It can actually be quite annoying, I suppose. I mean, think about never having sex on the kitchen counter or table. Torture!"

Caroline just rolled her eyes, fixing the wrinkles on the skirt of her dark blue skater dress—it was classy but casual, "Oh, yeah, pure torture!" she agreed sarcastically.

The mansion was enormous and even more beautiful inside than it was from the outside. Caroline couldn't even begin to imagine the time and care decorating the whole house so neatly yet warmly must have taken. She was so captured by the refined beauty of the walls and furniture that she didn't even notice they had eventually made it to the dining room.

"Uncle Kol!" Daniel called out excitedly from his high chair, waving his little arms around.

Kol chuckled, "Glad at least someone seems happy to see me."

"Must you always act like such a drama queen, Kol?" Rebekah joked, as her and everybody else rose from their chairs to greet the younger Mikaelson brother.

"Everyone, this is Caroline," he introduced her, putting his hand on her lower back in a soothing manner.

"Hi," she said in a little voice, leaning towards Kol.

This was so odd for her. She was good with people, exceptional even, no matter if they were old friends or new acquaintances. She had never had any problems finding herself among big crowds, but that night felt different. She really wanted things to work between her and Kol, and she felt like a fish out of water with so many obviously well-off people scrutinizing her from head to toe.

"Shall we sit?" Kol suggested, trying to diffuse the tension that had fallen upon the room.

"Yes, please. Let's all sit. The food will be ready shortly," Elijah thankfully reentered the room then, gesturing spiritedly towards the spacious table at the center of the room. "Kol, please, sit at my left with Caroline."

Everyone took their seat, and Caroline ended up between Kol and Rebekah.

"So, Kol and Caroline, how did you two meet?" Sage asked curiously from the other side of the table.

"Oh, it's quite the funny story," Kol grinned, looking down at Caroline who was seated on his left, their hands clasped together, fingers intertwined. "Do you wanna tell it, love, or shall I?"

Caroline sighed. "Well, I work at the café in town—the one near the law firm, and–"

"_That_'s your job?" Rebekah interrupted accusingly from beside her, scrunching her nose in disgust.

"Uhm, well, yes. It's only temporary, I hope, though. I need it to pay for college."

"College? How old are you exactly?" Rebekah pried again.

"_Bekah_," Kol warned her from beside Caroline, irritation obvious on his face.

Caroline smiled up at him reassuringly, caressing the back of his hand, which was still tightly clasped with hers on her lap, "It's okay. I'm 19, and majoring in Psychology."

"That sounds interesting. What would you like to do after that?" Elijah asked.

"I haven't really thought that far ahead," Caroline answered, laughing awkwardly. "I chose it because I really like and feel comfortable being around people"—_usually_—"Helping them out, that sort of things. I'm kind of the problem solver among my friends."

"Sweet," Katherine commented bitingly, "but go on, please. Tell us how you met my dear brother-in-law."

Kol squeezed Caroline's hand under the table—he was going to _kill_ his bloody family.

"Yeah, well, he entered the café one day, and I had to tend his table, and he, well, he acted very _Kol-ish_ on me. Let's put it that way," she joked, earning a laugh from all the men at the table plus Sage. "I told him off, which it's something he obviously wasn't used to, and therefore he decided to make my life hell from then on. He actually learned my working schedule by heart, and he would wait for me to arrive _every single time_ before purposefully blocking me with his car so that I couldn't park anywhere"—she glared up at his boyfriend at the memory—"It was super annoying, but I was sure he would drop it eventually–"

"Which I didn't," Kol quipped proudly.

"Obviously," she smiled. "This one time, he actually got me in trouble with my boss, because he made me check in late, and it really piss–mmh, it really, _really_ bothered me, of course, so we had another fight in the parking lot, during which he told me he would stop only if I agreed to go out on a date with him, and now here we are."

Kol smirked, looking at his girlfriend with a mischievous glint in his eyes that made Caroline squirm in her seat. So what? Maybe she _did_ skip the part where they had mind-blowing sex in the backseat of his Porsche in between, but they _were_ dining with his family, after all.

"That's a very romantic story," Cassidy, Finn and Sage's daughter, commented from the seat next to her mother, a bright smile on her face. "You are very cute together."

Caroline blushed, while Kol just smiled softly at his niece, "Thank you, Dee. Of course we are."

Everyone at the table laughed, and the air finally felt less tense as the food arrived and everybody engaged in different conversations with those nearest to them.

"Scared to death, yet?" Kol whispered casually, but the worry was evident in both his tone and face.

"Never," Caroline reassured him with a smile, letting go of his hand to start eating.

_(...)_

The rest of dinner went on rather smoothly. The kids seemed quite enamored with Caroline, especially Daniel, who demanded she played with him in the living room while the other adults had something stronger to drink in the adjacent room. Caroline wasn't a lightweight or a straight-edge by any means, but Kol's family had reacted oddly enough to the fact that she was only nineteen already, and she didn't particularly feel like fueling Rebekah's hatred towards her by drinking anything remotely alcoholic.

"Our Daniel doesn't usually like strangers," Katherine commented, leaning against the door-frame, her tone soft.

Caroline simply smiled, helping Daniel walking around with his little hands in hers, "I've always been quite good with babies."

The dark-haired woman approached her, sitting down on her floor beside her, "I don't doubt that. You are very nice, and easy-going"—she admitted truthfully—"I'm sorry Rebekah and I acted like crazy people before"—she laughed—"We're just all very protective when it comes to our family."

Caroline didn't exactly know how to feel about Katherine's words. She was surprised, to say the least, but grateful.

"No, it's okay, I understand," she answered, shaking her head. "I only have my mum, but I'd do anything for her... and for my friends—they're my family."

Katherine nodded, smiling at the way Daniel was wiggling around happily. "I think we were all just surprised, mostly. We still are. I'm sure you know Kol never brought a girl home before? He's just not quite that kind of guy."

"Yeah, he told me. I was super nervous," she laughed, pleased when Katherine joined in. "I've actually met _the family _only once before, and even then, I already knew both parents, because him and I had grown up together, so this was pretty new for me as well."

"And we made it even harder."

Caroline shrugged, "I don't think meeting your boyfriend's family for the first time could ever be easy."

"I suppose that's true, too. I had it a bit easier than you. I already knew Sage, and there was no bitchy possible future sister-in-law to give me the third degree. That's my role," she joked.

The two women laughed wholeheartedly together.

"Am I interrupting something?" Kol's voice caught their attention then, a smirk on his lips as he observed them.

"We were just about done," Katherine quipped, winking down at Caroline as she rose to her feet, picking a sleepy Daniel up with her.

Kol moved towards Caroline just as Katherine left the room.

"Should I be jealous of my nephew?" he teased, eyebrows raised as he closed his arms around Caroline's waist and pulled her closer.

"He's adorable."

"Ouch, love. And I'm not?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, placing her hands on his chest, "You're a different kind of adorable."

He lowered his head to kiss her, but she pushed him away lightly, "No kissing in front of your family."

"Seriously? They're not even paying us any attention."

"Still, I don't wanna take any chances," she chastised. "They seem to not hate me so far, and I would really like to keep it that way."

"They love you, believe me."

Caroline hummed, unsure, "Well, let's not do anything to jeopardize that then."

Kol sighed.

"Alriiight," he drawled, dropping his head to nuzzle her neck affectionately, "but if being around my family means I can't kiss you, we really need to leave right now."

He rose his head to place a light kiss on her cheek.

He took her hand in his and led her back into the dining room, where the others were. Caroline pointedly decided to ignore the glare Rebekah was obviously directing at her, instead happily noticing how everybody else seemed to look at them with an approving smile on their faces.

"We'll leave now, Elijah, if that's okay," Kol announced.

Elijah promptly set the glass of scotch he was nursing on the dark, wooden counter, "Of course it's okay. I'll escort you out."

The couple politely said their goodbyes to the rest of Kol's family, and started towards the hallway.

"Oi, Nik!" Kol called out to his older brother before leaving the room. "What about a double date with Camille?"

He asked expectantly, not noticing how Klaus cringed at the mention of his former girlfriend. '_Too bad they didn't know they broke up_.'

"You know you're my favorite brother, I need your full approval on this one," he added with a smirk, pointing down at Caroline beside him. "I'll have to dump her otherwise."

That comment earned him a punch in the arm by his girlfriend.

Klaus stalled for a moment.

"Uhm, sure, Kol," he agreed, reluctantly. He would have made up some excuse later, no need to come clean about Camille in front of his whole family now.

"Cool! 'Night, folks!"

Kol and Caroline put their coats back on, bid Elijah goodnight, and eventually left the Mikaelson household.

Kol noticed his girlfriend pouting as they made their way towards the car.

"Is something the matter, love?"

Caroline sighed, "Don't get me wrong, but I thought we were going to stay clear of your family for a while now."

Kol chuckled, opening the door for her as she got into the car, "Don't worry about my brother—he's fine, just likes to keep to his own."

"I noticed. He was awfully quiet throughout the whole dinner, and you know this girl doesn't bode well with awkward silences."

Kol simply chuckled again, shaking his head and lowering himself a bit to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"It will be fun, love," he promised. "I have a feeling you'll really like Nik."

* * *

**A/N: So this is the first chapter! No Klaus/Caroline interactions, I know, but obviously they'll grow into their friendship and then their relationship very, very slowly, just warning you here. When I was first deciding on everybody's seats during dinner, I actually, totally unintentionally, put Caroline in between Kol and Klaus, but then I didn't wanna make it too obvious so I switched Klaus with Rebekah, who definitely seems like the kind of sister who would elbow Klaus in the guts and sit next to Caroline so she could go all bitchy on her.**

**Next chapters should all be longer than this one, which is relatively short, but for now I just wanted to test the waters, see what kind of feedback the story receives and go from there to decide how long each chapter and the full story is going to be. So please, do review if you liked this.**

**A huge thank you to my beta, S. A. Arkenburgh, you should all check her stories, they're great.**

**Until next time, Giulia.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AU/AH. When Klaus told his brother Kol to get his head together, he didn't necessarily mean for him to start the first serious relationship of his life with a woman so beautiful. He didn't mean to fall in love with her either. Kol/Caroline, eventually Klaus/Caroline.**

**A/N: OH. MY. GOD. I was totally blown away by the amount of positive feedback this story received! It might not be much compared to other stories, but I woke up the day after publishing the first chapter with sixty-two e-mails of reviews/favorites/followers for this story, and it just made me so unbelievably happy! Thank you so, **_**so**_** much to each and every single one of you, it means the world to me, and it really does make me want to write and update faster for you guys. I really, **_**really**_** hope I won't disappoint you.**

**I apologize for the false update alert you must have received yesterday night/this morning. I **_**had**_** updated, but I was having problems with the manage stories thing so I took the chapter down, and I'm re-publishing it only now. Sorry for the inconvenience, I understand it must have annoyed you.**

**Again, a huge thanks to my beta, Shy (****S. A. Arkenburgh), and also Noémie (KlausLoveLetters), who made the story's cover for me.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

A hand suddenly touched Caroline's shoulder, making her gasp and turn around swiftly in fear.

"_Kol_! _What the hell_!" she shrieked, punching him lightly on the chest while taking her earbuds off. "You scared me half to death!"

Kol chuckled, clearly amused by his girlfriend's reaction.

"Sorry babe, I had to get your attention somehow," he apologized, cupping her reddening cheeks to bring her closer and kiss her. Caroline whined softly as he withdrew from her, earning herself another chuckle from her boyfriend.

"Seriously though, anybody could have just barged in here. You need to be more careful," he commented, knitting his eyebrows in actual concern as he shrugged off his coat.

Caroline rolled her eyes, "I got scared only because I was distracted studying, and not _anybody_ can just come in. You can because you have a key, mister smartypants."

Kol snorted, "Having a key or not are just details to serial killers, love."

"Whatever. Is that Chinese?" she asked with a grin, eying the boxes Kol had set on her kitchen table hopefully.

"Of course it is."

"You're a lifesaver," Caroline sighed, bringing her arms around his waist from behind as he got them some paper plates and glasses.

"Don't I know that, love."

_(...)_

"So, seriously–"

"Please, Kol, stop saying '_seriously'_. You make me feel like a bad influence," Caroline interrupted him with a laugh.

They had just finished having lunch and were currently lying on the peach colored couch in the living room of the apartment Caroline shared with her best friend Bonnie.

Kol looked down at Caroline in his arms, smirking, "You _are_ a bad influence, and a terrible one at that, actually."

She rolled over so she could face him, a mischievous grin on her lips, "Oh, am I, now?"

He simply nodded, leaning forward to cover her lips with his own, tightening the grip he had on her waist as she moved more comfortably over him, fisting his shirt in her hands and pulling him closer. She moaned into his mouth as he deepened the kiss and brought his hands under her shirt.

"Bonnie will be home soon," Caroline sighed gloomily against his lips.

"Don't care, love," he replied teasingly, swiftly rolling them over so she was lying underneath him.

She giggled, bringing her hands up to cup his face, "Well, _I_ do."

Kol rolled his eyes, lowering his head and peppering her neck and collarbone with feather kisses.

"I still don't understand why you won't move in with me," he whined, his voice slightly muffled against her burning skin.

"You know why," she sighed, pushing at his head so he would look up at her. "We've only been dating for three months—moving in together is too big of a step."

Kol groaned, letting his forehead rest against the couch's arm behind Caroline, "You're so stubborn. I already know I'll never want to be with anybody else, so why should we wait until it is _socially acceptable_"—he stressed, lifting himself slightly to make quotation marks with his hands—"to go and live together?"

Caroline pushed at his chest, and he not so graciously rolled off of her as they both raised to a sitting position on the couch.

She sighed, "Kol, you can't know that. You've said so yourself, this is the first real relationship you have ever had, and let me tell you, the first rule of real relationships is you don't jump into them head first."

Sighing, Kol took Caroline's hand in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing the tips of her fingers, "Alright. I'm sorry, love. I don't want you to feel pressured."

Caroline shook her head slightly, curling her body into his with her feet under her legs.

"It's okay," she whispered, closing her eyes as he kissed her hair. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Caroline smiled, thinking back at the first time they had said 'I love you', just a week prior on— as cheesy as that might sound—Valentine's Day.

_Kol sneaked his arms around Caroline's waist as she cut some vegetables to go with the roast cooking in the oven._

_He started to kiss a trail down her neck, making her giggle._

"_Koool, I'm trying to cook."_

_He smirked against her heated skin, "So? You always brag about being able to multi-task, I'd say this is as a good time as ever to prove that."_

_Caroline rolled her eyes._

"_Just help me with dinner instead. That way we can have some playtime while everything bakes," she suggested teasingly, tilting her head to the side as he nuzzled her neck affectionately._

_He scoffed, "Please, darling, as if. The one and only Kol Mikaelson does not cook."_

_She turned around and brought her arms around his neck, pecking his lips lightly, "For me? It is Valentine's Day after all. Aren't you supposed to act all gentlemanly?"_

"_Alright, love," he caved after a moment, sighing as he caressed down her shoulders. "You know I can't resist it when you beg me."_

_He winked._

_Caroline ignored his last comment, clapping her hands excitedly, "Alright, take the mozzarellas out of the fridge and cut them. They're bagged in water so be careful when you open them."_

"_I can't believe I'm actually going to do this," Kol said as he took the white envelopes out of the fridge, looking at them in mock disgust. "Only because I love you."_

_Caroline froze, and as silent fell upon the room Kol realized what he had said._

"_Shit," he cursed under his breath, turning around to face Caroline. "I didn't mean to tell you like that."_

_His eyes were pained, his tone nervous—this was the first time he had ever told anyone outside of his family that he loved them. Hell, it was the first time he had actually ever loved anybody outside of his family, period._

"_So... you mean it?" Caroline asked nervously, biting down on her bottom lip._

"_Of course I do."_

_She ran to him then, crushing their lips together, the strength of it so unexpected that Kol barely caught her by her thighs as she hitched her legs around his waist eagerly. They were both smiling into the kiss and out of breath, and Caroline was the first one to break away._

"_I love you, too."_

_Kol's smile became even bigger, and he slowly walked towards the counter to sat Caroline on it, their bodies never disconnecting._

"_You do?"_

_Caroline laughed, running her hands through his messy, brown hair, "Of course I do, silly."_

_He leaned down to capture her lips in another lingering kiss, and Caroline quickly deepened the contact, running her tongue along the seam of his lips and coaxing them open._

_Kol moaned, withdrawing for a moment to catch his breath. _

"_Dinner, love," he reminded her breathlessly, her lips burning against his jaw._

"_I don't care," she whispered, and that was all the encouragement he needed to pick her up and bring her down the hallway to his bedroom to show her just how much he really loved her._

_(...)_

"When are we meeting up with your brother?" Caroline asked, starting to clean up the mess they had made eating in the living room.

Bonnie had called her around an hour ago saying she was going to stay on campus to run some errands for the day, and as much as Caroline would have loved for Kol to stay over, she really needed to study if she wanted to pass her upcoming exams.

"I don't know yet," he sighed. "I actually think he's trying to avoid me..."

His eyebrows knitted in confusion—his brother had been acting quite weird as of lately, even for him, and that was saying something.

Caroline laughed jokingly, "Oh, I wonder why one would ever try to avoid you!"

"Ah, ah, you're so funny, love," he mocked as he put his coat back on. "There's just something that he's trying to hide from the family, and if I know Nik, which I do, that _something_ probably has to do with his love life."

"Why would he want to hide it from you, though?" Caroline asked, confused.

Kol chuckled.

"Let's just say, love, that I'm sure you noticed how suffocating and overbearing my family can be," he answered, turning towards her with a pointing look.

Caroline cringed, immediately feeling sorry for Kol's brother, "I guess you're right."

"Aren't I always?" Kol quipped with a smug grin on his face.

Caroline rolled her eyes, poking at his chest lightly and making him chuckle, "Just leave already, so I can study."

"Love, it's not my fault you're so easily distracted," he teased, leaning down to meet her lips with his own.

However, the kiss was over before Caroline knew it, and she whimpered at the loss of contact.

"I'll call you later, okay? I'll try to get a hold of my brother in the meantime."

"Alright," she sighed, "but I still don't understand why we can't meet with, I don't know, Elijah instead?"

She whined—she knew she was acting like an immature, petulant child, but she really didn't get any sort of good vibes from what seemed to be Kol's favorite brother during their family dinner, and it was an experience she really didn't care to repeat.

"Don't be rude, darling," Kol warned her teasingly. "Nik's approval is really important to me, and although I am sure he will give it, I really want you two to get along, okay?"

Caroline sighed one last time, smiling dejectedly at her boyfriend as he sent her one last longing gaze before closing the door behind him.

"Okay..."

_(...)_

Klaus hit the ignore button again as Kol's name popped up on his screen for the umpteenth time.

He felt really bad about trying to dodge his brother—which, he knew, was something he could only keep on doing for so long. The last thing he wanted was for Kol to get really worried and ask someone else in the family about it, probably Elijah—one annoying sibling prying into his life was more than enough.

All the more, he _did_ want to properly meet Kol's girlfriend. He couldn't deny that he had been awfully quiet and brooding during their family dinner two weeks before, and he wanted to make it right. He knew how much this meant to his brother.

His phone beeped again, signaling a new text. _Rebekah_.

'_Got you golden tickets for that art show in New Orleans you were dying to go to! No need to thank me! ;)'_

Klaus' eyes widened—he had been looking for tickets to the Salon d'Automne French art exhibit for months now, and he knew for a fact that they were all sold out.

'_How?'_ he typed in quickly.

Rebekah's reply arrived immediately, '_Called in a few favors... nothing big, I promise. I know how much you and Camille want to go! :)'_

Klaus cursed under his breath. _Right_. All this time, he had been making plans to go with Camille, and now, surely, his sister would grow suspicious if he were to go alone, since no one knew they were no longer together.

'_Thanks, Beks. However, I can't free myself to go anymore.'_

'_Are you kidding me? Free yourself from what exactly?'_—he could just _see_ the scoff on her face—'_I don't care. Also, I'm not buying that! I know you're hiding something, but I can't deal with your shithead right now. You're going, end of the conversation.'_

Klaus sighed, turning off his phone—he'd had enough of his family for one day already.

He tore at the last page of his sketchpad angrily. Everything in his life was going the wrong way, from his relationships to his work.

Sometimes, he just wished he could have been happy with the boring, business, suit-and-tie-life his brothers lived. Everything would have been so much easier that way. Since he was just a kid, everyone had always told him how his artistic talent was a precious gift, but as time passed, he was starting to consider it more and more of a curse. Too many times people shut their doors at him. Too many times he drank himself into a stupor as he tried to pick up what was left of his dreams.

Hadn't it been for what he had inherited of his parents' wealth after their passing, where would he have been now? Would he have looked for a normal job, would he have been content with a normal life? Or would he have kept on chasing all these silly fantasies he had of opening his own art gallery?

Sighing, he set the sketchpad down on the wooden desk of his studio and went to the cabinet just under the spacious window to get himself something to drink—something strong, and possibly haze-inducing.

He nursed his glass of scotch for some minutes while gazing outside the window into the street. He lived in a penthouse right in Central Park, and the view, especially from the studio, was simply gorgeous: everything—the streets, the trees, the buildings—was covered in snow, and the stark contrast between the white and the sky's light blue was reassuring and somewhat soothing.

A sudden knock on his door—he would have never heard it all the way to the studio, hadn't it been so quiet—startled him, bringing him back from his reveries.

It was particularly rare for Klaus to have any sort of visitors, and he approached the front door warily, placing his glass down on the living room table as he went.

As he reached the door, he pondered for a moment whether to open it or pretend he wasn't home, for he really didn't feel like having people around at the moment. After all, he was nowhere near amicable on a good day, which meant he could be downright rude on his bad ones, which were unfortunately rather frequent, especially as of lately.

He looked through the peephole, barely stifling a gasp as he saw his brother Kol on the other side of the door. Sure, he had been ignoring him for a couple of days now, but he would have never thought his brother would have ever actually come to this—even his own family knew better than to disturb him at his apartment. It just was something that thoroughly annoyed him—people seeking him out.

"Come on, Nik, open up! I know you're in there, I heard you!" Kol sing-songed through the door, only achieving to get him even more annoyed.

Eventually, after a minute, Klaus sighed, pushed some buttons on his safety monitor, and then proceeded to unlock the door latch wide enough for Kol to enter.

Kol made his way in, patting his brother on the shoulder as he did so, a grin on his face which contrasted starkly with Klaus' annoyed grimace.

"_He's alive_!" the younger sibling joked, sprawling on the brown, leather couch positioned right in the middle of the room.

Klaus' penthouse was very peculiarly but elegantly furnished, with paintings—both his own and some bought, rare pieces—on every wall, and exotic yet refined mementos and souvenirs from his various journeys all over the world. The main color, that embraced the whole apartment, was a dark but warm and comforting brown, illuminated by the bright sun's rays that came through from the farthest partition, which was all one, large window that looked over the best part of Manhattan.

The penthouse was somewhat of a metaphor of Klaus himself—artistic and observing, yet too far and detached form everything else for its beauty to be really noticed, let alone understood.

"I was busy," Klaus retorted curtly, closing the door behind him with more strength that he had intended to.

"Mmh, for the past week and a half, brother?" Kol quipped, raising his eyebrows knowingly.

"Yes."

Kol rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right, whatever. I just want to know when you can meet up with me and Caroline."

"Kol–" Klaus started warningly.

"Look," Kol stopped him immediately, raising his hands in front of him, "I understand you're having an off phase, alright? My guess is that it has something to do with the fact that you're not seeing Camille anymore."

Klaus gaped at his brother, trying to find the right words to say. When nothing came out, he went for the obvious, "How do you know?"

"I know _you_, Nik, and if you don't want to tell the others, that's fine! I mean, it's really not any of my business. Besides, who am I to judge? My track record for successful relationships counted a big, fat zero before Caroline," he shrugged. "All I want is to spend some quality time with the two most important people I have in my life right now."

The older Mikaelson sibling immediately felt a pang of guilt.

"Alright," he sighed after a moment.

"Yes!" Kol did a fist pump, a large, genuine grin making its way on his young face.

He hurried up the couch and hugged his brother fiercely, "Thanks, Nik. You're the best!"

Klaus pushed Kol off of him, chuckling as he watched his brother do a very eccentric victory dance around his living room.

This Caroline girl really had to be something special to make his brother go so out of his usual way. Truth be told, during their family dinner, he had been too preoccupied with his own thoughts to really spare her more than a glance when she and Kol had first arrived. Then, soon, he had been drunk enough to not being able to really pay any attention to anything or anyone.

As his brother left, thanking him one last time and promising to call him soon with the details, all he could do was hope for things to go smoothly. Kol seemed quite taken with this girl, and if she ever were to become family, the least he could do was try and get to know her. He owed his brother as much.

_(...)_

Kol kept fidgeting in his chair, something Klaus had never really seen his brother do before. The older sibling had tried to lighten the mood for the past fifteen minutes now, but to no avail.

"Calm down, Kol."

Said brother simply glared at him from the opposite side of the table they were currently occupying.

"I _am_ calm," he stated, nodding his head as if to try and convince himself of it.

"Maybe I should just call her again, though," he suggested, going to fish his phone out of his jeans' pocket.

Klaus' hand shot forward, grabbing his brother's arm and effectively stopping him, "For God's sake, she texted you not even five minutes ago saying she was on her way."

Kol huffed, bringing both his hands on the table as Klaus released him, "_I know_. I just won't understand why the hell she didn't let me pick her up."

"Didn't you say she had a shift at work?"

"At the bar, yeah."

"Well, then she probably just went home and changed. She'll be here any minute, trust me."

Kol nodded dejectedly, but something else caught Klaus' attention as the cozy and casual pizzeria's doorbell chimed.

Kol had his back turned to the door, but Klaus had the perfect view.

Blond, wavy hair flowed around like a halo as the most beautiful girl Klaus had ever seen turned around. Big, expressive, baby blue eyes, whose beauty was only accentuated by the elegant yet not over-the-top pastel pink blouse she was wearing and some light make-up, looked right at him and his breath caught in his throat—she was making his way towards their table.

It took him more time than it should have to realize it, as a wave of vanilla perfume engulfed them and Kol turned around with a silly smile on his face—_of course_.

"Caroline!" his brother sat right up, wasting no time and embracing the girl, bringing her into him as their lips met for a brief moment.

Klaus had never seen his brother being so affectionate towards someone, and while he couldn't help but smile watching the exchange unfolding before him, he couldn't suppress the nagging feeling of jealousy—his brother had never even looked for love and yet he had it, while he had been yarning for it his whole life but never seemed to find it.

The couple turned to him, and Klaus rose to his feet, extending his hand for Caroline to shake. Her hand was soft and warm, so much different from how Camille's had been. Up close, she looked even more gorgeous, and he just couldn't believe that, half drunk or not, he hadn't noticed how lovely she was during the family dinner.

She was smiling and radiating so much light—for some reason, she looked completely out of place next to his brother.

"Love, this is my brother. Nik, this is Caroline."

* * *

**A/N: Zanzaaaaan! **

**Yes, I know a lot of you had asked for some sort of 'love at first sight' revelation from Klaus, but I just find it really silly and anti-climactic in fanfictions, so I gave you the best next thing**—**which is how I've always planned this story to go anyway**—**he's interested. A lot. Not quite to a 'crap, I like my brother's girlfriend' level yet but he'll get there not too far along the way, I promise. And although I have to say that Kol and Caroline are really starting to grow on me, this **_**is**_** going to be a Klaus/Caroline story, I just feel like I need to clarify it since some people asked me about it in the reviews. Some of you also asked about the characters' ages so: Caroline is 19, Kol is 23, and Klaus is 25. I hope the age differences won't bother you too much since Kol and Caroline already had sex and so will Klaus and Caroline eventually, and in future chapters it will get more graphic than the subtle hints I wrote so far, but I felt like it needed to be this way as long as the characters' life story, experience and development go. All that aside, I really hope this chapter didn't disappoint you and that you liked it even if, again, there weren't really any Klaus/Caroline interactions. I pinky promise there's going to be some good stuff in the next chapter!**

**Thank you all again, **_**so **_**much, for all the support you're giving me in continuing this story, it means everything to me, and every review just makes me want to sit and write for you.**

**Have a good day, Giulia.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AU/AH. When Klaus told his brother Kol to get his head together, he didn't necessarily mean for him to start the first serious relationship of his life with a woman so beautiful. He didn't mean to fall in love with her either. Kol/Caroline, eventually Klaus/Caroline.**

**A/N: Waaaaaah, don't kill me, don't kill me, don't kill me! I'm extremely sorry it took me _so_ long to update this, but I'm in my senior year in high school and it's all very time-consuming, so much more than I had imagined it to be to be honest... sigh. Anyway, you probably don't want to hear about it. I just feel like I should warn you that I'm going to have exams until mid-July so updates will probably be pretty slow until then, I apologize in advance.**

**That said, a gigantic thank you to my beta, Shy, and to all of you for following, favoriting, reviewing, or even simply reading this story, it means the world to me!**

**Hope you'll enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The waitress walked away after taking their order—one, big, extra sauce and extra topping pizza, two beers for the men, and a coke for Caroline.

She brought the drinks after a moment, and Caroline immediately took a sip from her can through her red straw, humming in delight. She had barely had the time to stop by her apartment and change into something nicer after her shift at the bar and she was positively parched.

"Did you have a nice day at work, love?" Kol asked, leaning against the back of his chair as he loosely brought an arm around Caroline's seat, just above her shoulders.

Caroline sighed. "It was okay," she answered, shrugging. "You know I hate working on Fridays, especially during the happy hour, but taking an extra shift today was the only way to get the weekend off."

Kol nodded understandingly.

"Oh, are you two going somewhere for the weekend?" Klaus intervened, curious—his brother hadn't mentioned anything of sorts to him.

Caroline shook her head lightly with a soft laugh. "I wish," she sighed, "but no, unfortunately. I have exams for extra credits next week and I figured I could use a last few days to study."

Klaus nodded his head in understanding—he perfectly remembered how draining and frantic college life was, with due dates and way too many subjects that didn't make any sense for the course he was majoring in. Add being constantly surrounded by drunk, careless semi-adults, and you had an experience he definitely didn't care to relive. Ever.

"You'll pass with flying colors, babe, you know it," Kol teased her with a smirk, turning his head to the side to look at his girlfriend.

Caroline rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. "Enough talking about me, _please_," she pressed, fingering the straw of her coke almost mindlessly. "Kol told me you're a painter?" she diverted the attention towards Klaus.

The older Mikaelson brother shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Uhm, sort of," he mumbled.

Kol chuckled. "Forgive him, love, a painter is far too common! My brother, here, likes to call himself an _artist_."

"_Oh_..." Caroline's lips formed a perfect 'O' as she looked between the two brothers with her eyebrows knitted in confusion.

Klaus shot his brother a warning look. "I like to paint, yes," he added curtly with a strained smile. He had never been one to talk about himself to other people, and he surely wasn't going to do just that in front of someone he still considered a stranger, Kol's girlfriend or not.

"Well," Kol interject after a beat, the silence too uncomfortable around them—his brother couldn't even _pretend_ to be a people's person for the life of his—"since you two boring people obviously don't want to talk about yourselves," he paused for a moment, "let's talk about me!" he suggested with a cocky smirk adorning his lips.

"Seriously?" Caroline scoffed with a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief at her boyfriend's attitude.

"Why, of course, love! I happen to be a very interesting person, thank you very much!" he proclaimed, tipping his head back with his eyes closed and his eyebrows raised in a very serious manner.

"Oh, yeah?" Caroline challenged him, a foxy smile on her lips. "Then please, pray tell, what did you do today, _mister interesting_?"

"Well, for starters," he began in an announcing tone, "I woke up _very_ early at eleven in the morning"—Caroline scoffed, earning herself a 'don't interrupt me!' glare from her boyfriend—"then I had breakfast, comfortably delivered to my apartment, of course. I was a bit bored, so I decided to play some videogames until–_ouch_!" Kol yelped, knitting his eyebrows as he massaged the spot of his forearm that Caroline had just elbowed, making even Klaus laugh wholeheartedly.

"What was that for?" he asked indignantly.

"That was because you're an ass!" Caroline answered with a laugh—an indicator that she wasn't really annoyed at him—swatting his arm again.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes!"

Kol grinned, cocking one of his eyebrows as he took hold of the hand that had just hit him before she could retreat it, effectively immobilizing her and starting to tickle her sides.

"_Nooooo_! _Kooool,_ stop it!" Caroline shrieked through her breathless giggles, but Kol didn't desist.

Feeling like he was intruding on the couple's moment, Klaus looked away from the scene before him. Saying he had never been a people's person would have been a huge understatement, but that was the first time he had ever actually felt like a third wheel, and he downright hated it.

Looking around the small pizzeria, Klaus noticed that there was but another elderly couple, who didn't seem to mind Kol and Caroline's noisy exchange at all. If anything, they were looking towards their table with shining eyes and a happy smile gracing their lips, surely remembering those times long ago when they were just as young and carefree.

After a few moments, Klaus took a sip from his beer, clearing his throat awkwardly in the process.

Caroline finally managed to push Kol—who still had a huge, amused grin plastered on his face—away. She was puffing and red in the face from all the laughing, her blond curls slightly ruffled.

"You're incorrigible, Kol," she reproached him mockingly with a shake of her head, straightening her blouse.

Kol rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to speak, but any retort he might have had on the tip of his tongue was cut short as the waitress finally came back with their large pizza.

Each of them immediately took a slice and started eating with gusto.

"Mmh, this pizza is delicious!" Kol managed to say between mouthfuls.

Caroline rolled her eyes, swallowing a bite before answering, "You say that every time we come here."

"Well, then it must be really good!" he quipped back.

Klaus finished his first slice in silence and reached over to take another. "Do you guys come here often? It looks very... _cozy_," he commented, for lack of a better word, his tone sour. "I have to say, not exactly a place I can see you hanging around at a lot, brother."

Kol glared briefly at his older sibling—_seriously? _"I actually happen to like it very much."

The blond Mikaelson brother scoffed. "If this is the kind of place you happen to like now, then you really _have_ changed," he added almost spitefully.

Kol's eyes widened, and he gaped at his brother. "Why, _yes_, Nik, some people are actually capable of changing instead of remaining rude and ungrateful twats for their whole life! Maybe you should try it!" he countered with a raised, angry tone.

Really? _Really?_ Klaus had promised, _for him_, to get his head out of his ass for just a couple of hours, but of course he couldn't do it. Kol should have known better anyway, being hateful came like a second nature to his brother—_that_ was the real sad part of it all.

Klaus raised his hands in front of him in surrender, a cocky smirk playing on his lips, "No need to get all worked up and overreact, Kol. I was merely stating a fact."

Caroline placed her hand on Kol's thigh, trying to sooth him, and the younger Mikaelson brother simply sighed, "Whatever, Nik. Tonight is supposed to be nice and fun, so if you can't act mature, please either pretend to be or leave."

For a moment, nobody said nor did anything, then Kol resumed eating his pizza and the other two followed, the three of them encompassed in a tensed silence for the rest of the evening, which was only broken by Caroline's poor attempts at lighting up the mood once in a while.

Klaus felt guilty and ashamed. Really, _he did_, which was stupid because it was obviously all his fault. _He_ had been the one to ruin the mood, and whether he wanted to acknowledge that or not, he had sort of done it on purpose. Dinner had been going on rather well up until he had decided to act like the biggest jerk. He had really planned to just have a nice, comfortable evening with his brother, but that was just who he was, and he couldn't help it—he always had to ruin everything.

It was that feeling of loneliness again—the one he felt so much more when he was around other people than when he was actually on his own, and that nagging voice at the back of his head that kept reminding him that there was no way he would ever find someone to be like that with, like Kol was with Caroline. Loving, happy, free. It made him feel weak, _so weak_, and he hated it.

So, if he couldn't be happy, nobody else around him should have been either. It was selfish, and wrong, and twisted, so terribly twisted. But he _was_ a broken man, what else could people ever really expect from him?

With the mood of the evening ruined, and the talking reduced to an awkward minimum, Klaus, and Kol and Caroline, parted ways as soon as the latter had finished eating her chocolate soufflé, next to no goodbyes exchanged.

The couple wandered together towards Caroline's apartment's building, which was only a few blocks away from the pizzeria. Caroline had both her arms around Kol's left one and her head was resting lightly on his shoulder as they walked, slowly and in silence.

"I'm sorry about my brother," Kol sighed eventually.

"It's not your fault," Caroline reassured him. "You don't have to apologize."

"Yes, _I do_," he countered strongly, stopping and turning to look at Caroline. "I don't know why I believed for even a second that he was actually going to behave for the whole night," he shook his head dejectedly. "I mean... things are always like this with Nik, _always_."

Caroline caressed down his arm in a soothing manner, giving him a small smile and tugging at his arm—there was only so much she could say to him right now.

"Come on, don't think about it. Let's just go home."

_(...)_

Klaus woke up with a pounding headache, groaning as he rolled over on the bed and reached for the alarm clock on his nightstand, turning it off grumpily.

10A.M. on a Tuesday and he had nothing better to do than keep on sleeping, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or cry.

After the whole meet-the-girlfriend dinner fiasco with Kol, he had pointedly avoided any kind of contact with any of his siblings, and it had been over two weeks from then already. Partially, he appreciated the fact that neither Elijah nor Rebekah had yet given up on trying to get a hold of him. It meant that they really cared and could see past his 'I don't need anyone' façade—they _were_ his family after all, but on the other end, all those calls he was desperately avoiding were starting to get annoying. What were they even trying to achieve? He knew the way he had acted towards Kol had been wrong, but, hardheaded as he was, he had no intention of apologizing for it. That was just how he was, and he wasn't going to change anytime soon. He _didn't_ want to change. He _couldn't_ change, to begin with, and after all those years, his siblings should know better, shouldn't they?

Sighing, he threw the dark blue covers off himself, rising to a sitting position and leaning against the bed's mahogany headboard. After a moment, he reached over to his nightstand again, quickly finding his phone and dialing the only number he knew by heart.

_(...)_

"Why should _I_ apologize?" Kol questioned his siblings, disbelief clear in his raised tone.

Rebekah rolled her eyes, setting her steaming cup of hot chocolate down on the bar's table after having taken a generous sip of it.

"Nobody said anything about you _apologizing_, Kol. Just goddamn be the bigger person! Call him or something, let him know that you're not mad at him, so maybe, just _maybe_, he'll finally get back to the world of the living," she said. "It's been over two weeks now."

Kol glared at his sister. "Well, I don't care, and _I am_ mad," he corrected her. "Also, I believe calling him hasn't been working too well for you two, now, has it?" he added, raising his eyebrows knowingly.

Rebekah huffed, annoyed, looking sideways to Elijah seeking his support.

The oldest Mikaelson sibling cleared his throat, drumming his fingers on the table's hard surface in an agitated manner which was so unlike him.

"Indeed it hasn't," he sighed, raising his eyes to look directly at Kol, "but one more person trying to reach him wouldn't hurt. You know very well Niklaus _does_ feel ashamed for the rude way he acted towards you and Caroline,"—Kol snorted, earning himself a warning look from his brother—"but you also need to understand–"

"That he's going to mope like a fucking baby for years to end if _I_ don't apologize to him because _he_ is a gigantic bellend?!" Kol interrupted him, raising his arms dramatically and angrily.

"You don't have to _apologize,_ Kol. We're just saying–"

"No, Rebekah! You all have always called me out on my shit, and granted, I was so far much more gone than Nik, but it's not right that we just _fucking __coddle_ him all the time!"

"That's not it!" Rebekah exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. "You know it's different for him. You know why he is the way he is!"

Kol scoffed, "Don't we all have our issues, dear sister?"

Rebekah gaped at him, "You _did not_ just say that. You can't possibly compare _anything_ any of us has ever gone through to what _he_ went through."

Kol sighed, shaking his head. Rebekah put their brother on a pedestal and there was no way she was going to understand.

Nobody said anything for a moment. "Kol–" Elijah, ever the voice of reason, started.

"_Don't_. I don't have time for this right now. If it will ease your minds, I'll pay him a visit," Kol spoke sadly, sitting up from his chair, taking his jacket with him, "but this is not healthy for him. No matter what happened in the past, nothing can make it right for him to live the way he is living."

Elijah and Rebekah watched their brother's retreating figure as he swiftly walked out of the bar and into the brisk Manhattan air.

"He's right, you know..." Rebekah conceded with a sigh after a moment, toying with the handle of her cup. "I don't know what got Nik in a mood this time, but there will _always_ be something going wrong with him." She shook her head, casting her eyes downwards. "I thought, maybe, with Camille... I mean, they get each other, don't they?" she asked, her tone hopeful.

Elijah sighed, "I honestly can't tell you. I have long stopped understanding the way our brother works, Rebekah."

"Do you think Kol is right? That we should just stop trying?" she asked in a low voice after a moment.

"Do you?" Elijah countered, looking at her intensely.

She shook her head firmly, "No. I think it does him some good to know we haven't given up on him."

Elijah nodded his agreement, smoothing down his napkin on the table with excessive care as a sad smile made its way to his lips, "Unfortunately, I believe he's the one who has given up on himself."

_(...)_

Klaus felt a big sense of _déjà-vu_ as he opened the door to his penthouse only to find himself face to face with Kol.

He had ordered some late lunch just a couple of minutes ago, and he had been so lost in his own thoughts, he hadn't thought twice about asking who it was before opening the door, ready to welcome in the room service.

"Kol..." he stammered out.

The younger sibling sighed, making his way into the apartment and quickly getting rid of his jacket, "Don't worry, brother. I know you're not going to apologize. That's not why I'm here."

Klaus gulped. "Look–" he started.

Kol shook his head, turning to look at his brother as the latter closed the door behind them, "No, really, that's not why I'm here. I'm not looking for an apology, Nik. Of course, I'd deserve it, but you're you, so I'm not going to get my hopes up about it. I'm here on commission, I guess you could say."

Klaus nodded his head. "I see," he stilled for a second, "Elijah?"

"And Bekah," Kol shrugged, looking around the living room with a scrunched up face. "They're worried sick about you, and I know you want to act like you don't care about a soul in the world, but I'm sure picking up the phone once in a while wouldn't hurt you." He spat his words.

"If they were so worried, they should have come here themselves," Klaus bit back, moving towards the couch, away from his brother.

Kol chuckled humorlessly, "God, Nik. You really _are_ stupid."

"Must run in the family then," he countered, looking pointedly at his younger brother.

"Oh, wow, real mature! Are you seriously going to be this way again?"

"Just because now you have a _serious_, _little girlfriend_," Klaus mocked, "doesn't make you any more mature than you were three months ago getting bailed out of jail, Kol. I was there, remember?"

Kol sighed loudly, running a hand through his messy brown hair. "I'm not here to fight with you again," he said through gritted teeth. "Yes, I love you, but believe me if I think by now we should just all let you fend for yourself."

"Then go ahead, I ask for nothing more!" Klaus retorted, raising his hand towards the door, indicating for him to get out, to leave him. Everybody left him anyway. It was just a matter of time.

Kol shook his head, "Can't you see we're just trying to help? And _no_, don't say you don't need our help because that's obviously bullshit! Just, for God's sake, what's wrong? You were doing so well. Is this about Camille?"

Klaus scoffed, "_I was doing well?_ You lot talk about me like I'm some drug addict recovering, and you seriously ask yourselves why I don't feel like picking up the phone every single time you call? This is unbelievable."

"You know what I meant, Nik. You seemed to be–"—he stalled, searching for the right word—"_not sad_ with her."

"Then what? You thought she was my _savior_?" he laughed bitterly. "That she could _fix me_? Well, guess what?" He opened his arms at his sides, "I'm not fixable, brother."

Kol rolled his eyes, "The truth is that you don't _want_ to be fixed, Nik. And you know what? I would be _so done_ caring after that little stunt you put on the other night, but this stupid attitude of yours hurts Rebekah, so just take it down a notch, will you? If there's someone who doesn't deserve your shit, it's her, and you know it."

Klaus sat down on the couch dejectedly, his head in his hands, "I can't be the person she wants me to be. She needs to accept that and move on."

"Accept that and move on?" Kol scoffed. "Only God knows why, our sister _adores_ you, and she doesn't want you to be any different than you are. She just wants you to not hate her."

Klaus looked up in astonishment. "I don't hate her," he mumbled. "She knows that."

"Whether she knows that or not, she's having a rather hard time believing that now, so _please_, just call her. Ease her mind."

"I can't," he answered in a trembling, strained voice, shaking his head. "She wants me to go to that exhibit..."

"Then go! You could use a few days away, in a new city, with new air to clear your head."

"I can't go without Camille..."

Kol looked at his brother in confusion, walking towards him to sit at his side on the couch. "What do you mean?"

Klaus sighed, "Rebekah—she got me two tickets. She knows I had intended to go with Camille, but now... I can't tell her we broke up. It would just make matters worse if I did."

"You'll have to tell her, eventually," Kol pointed out.

"I know, just... not now."

"Alright. Then, just take the two tickets but go alone. No big deal."

The older Mikaelson brother shook his head again. "No, you don't understand. There are going to be friends of hers there, people she surely set me up to meet up with, bragging about me going there with a girlfriend..." he sighed. "She would know if I were to go alone."

Kol nodded, understanding. His brother really needed some time in a different place, some time out of this oppressive, chocking, _suffocating_ room—he would bet his life he hadn't gone out in days, even weeks perhaps. He knew how much he had tried to find tickets for this apparently huge art show in New Orleans, and surely, being surrounded by art, culture, music, everything he loved, could only do his brother some good. Certainly, if he did go, it would ease their sister's mind a bit, and God only knew how much _she_ needed that—to know their brother was happy, even if for the briefest of times. If only there was something he could do to help...

Suddenly, Kol had an idea. He was going to have a lot of begging and persuading to do, but surely, it could work. It _had_ to.

Patting his brother on the back, he smiled, at last. "Maybe I know somebody who can help you."

* * *

**A/N: Cliffhangeeeer! Yes? Maybe? I don't know, ahah. What's Kol's big plan going to be? *drum rolls***

**Anyway, I'm sorry for the numerous changes of scene, but it's the only way I can make this work, otherwise this story would probably end up going on too slow, and I don't want that to happen... I hope it's not too confusing for you. The Klaus/Rebekah/hate thing will be explained soon enough, that wasn't just some silly plot-filling diversion. I also hope I managed to convey in Rebekah's talk with Elijah how much it's important to her that Klaus isn't alone, hence why he can't just tell her that he broke up with Camille.**

**I really, _really_ hope you liked this chapter, we have some good (and some bad) Klaus/Caroline moments awaiting, so be excited!**

**See you soon (hopefully), Giulia.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AU/AH. When Klaus told his brother Kol to get his head together, he didn't necessarily mean for him to start the first serious relationship of his life with a woman so beautiful. He didn't mean to fall in love with her either. Kol/Caroline, eventually Klaus/Caroline.**

**A/N: I know you all probably want to kill me for the excessively long wait, but we're here now and that's all that matters (I hope). My summer hasn't been the best, writer's block is a bitch and blah, blah, blah. I just want you to know that no matter how long it might take me to update, I have no intention whatsoever of ever abandoning this story, so just be patient with me. Good things come to those who wait, right?**

**Thank you so, **_**so much**_** to everyone who kept reviewing, following, favoriting, or even simply reading this story! I can hardly believe I have over a hundred reviews and over two hundreds follows after only three chapters, wow! It really means the world to me.**

**I also really want to thank a guest (DSalvatoresGirl) for her review, because she said something I had noticed as well but wasn't sure whether to address or not. I know a lot of you aren't exactly keen on the possibility—yes, **_**possibility**_**, because it hasn't happened yet and technically could never happen in the future either—of Caroline cheating, because, **_**hey**_**—she **_**is**_** Caroline 'Miss Morals' Forbes after all, but like it was pointed out in the aforementioned review, the Caroline of this story necessarily has to be somehow different from the Caroline we see and love on the show. Not too much, of course, because I wouldn't want that either, but some things about her can't but be different... that's the allure of fanfictions after all, and this isn't a mere fanfiction, but an alternative universe/all humans one at that, of course the characters are going to have to be somehow different. Therefore, I sincerely hope that you will all be able to accept that for the purpose of this story, which is of my own total invention, Caroline might—and I repeat, **_**might**_**—cheat on Kol at some point, and that in case that happens, you will be able to look past it and keep on reading my story in the name of our common love for Klaus and Caroline. *exhales* End of the super long rant, sorry, but I thought it was relevant to point this all out.**

**Also, the biggest thank you goes to my new beta reader, Bethany (MarsterRoo). She's really the best, and if you haven't read her stories yet****—which I doubt, because they are absolutely amazing—go do that now, you won't regret it!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Are you _freaking insane_, Kol?" Caroline shrieked, making Kol wince.

"Caroline, _love_–"

"Oh no, no, no, no, _no_! You don't get to sweet talk yourself out of this, Mister Mikaelson!" she interrupted him, her eyes cutting him like a knife as she pointed an accusing finger at him.

"_You_ can't stand _five minutes_ in a room with _your_ brother, and then, suddenly, _I_ have to spend _four freaking days_ alone with him? Him, who, by the way, I only met _once_, and—do I need to remind you how disastrously that went?" she looked straight at him, her eyebrows raised and her cheeks reddened.

"Like, seriously Kol. That's a terrible, _terrible_ idea! Unless it's a not so subtle way for you to tell me that you want to try swinging!" she half joked, although she looked anything but amused, letting her arms fall helplessly at her sides.

"Are you done, love?" Kol asked after a second of silence, looking at his girlfriend lovingly.

Caroline briefly looked around at her surroundings, sighing hopelessly. "I don't know."

Kol approached her cautiously, taking her hands in his bigger ones and caressing them soothingly.

"Look, I know this a lot to ask you. And it's not like I'm over the moon about it."

Caroline opened her mouth to say something, but Kol quickly silenced her. "_Yes_. I know it was _my_ idea—she rolled her eyes, _how did he know her so well?_—because, as an ass as he can be, he's still my brother, and he's not in the best place right now," he paused for a moment. "He needs my help, _our_ help."

Caroline fiercely glared at him then, a bone-chilling stare that said _don't you dare guilt tripping me into this, you ass_, but she was only met with his infamous puppy eyes, and she knew she was a goner.

"I promise you, love, you'll have fun. My brother knows he owes you for this, and he will be nothing but an impeccable gentleman the whole time, I'm sure," Kol reassured her. "And it's not like you have to stay with him 24/7," he continued, drawing patterns on the back of her hands in a soothing manner.

"All you'll have to do is talk to some of Rebekah's friends, flash them your best smile and nod here and there, so they can diligently report back to our sister that Nik was seen happily carrying a very hot blonde on his arm—he winked, prompting Caroline to roll her eyes—then you can just enjoy New Orleans for the rest of your stay."

Caroline huffed, freeing her hands from Kol's grasp and running one across her forehead. "Yes, _alone_. Or even worse, with your moody stranger of a brother!" she pointed out.

"Can't you come with us?" she suggested sheepishly after a moment, looking at him from behind her long, blond lashes.

Kol chuckled. "Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Forbes?" he asked with mock indignation.

"Only if it's working," she quipped cheekily.

Kol shook his head, a smile still playing on his thin lips. "You know I would love nothing more than to come with you, but I can't."

He cradled Caroline in his arms again, her whined protest muffled against his shirt.

"I want to show Elijah that I'm serious about my work now. Plus, he could get suspicious... he doesn't know Nik broke up with his girlfriend either."

"Ugh, I hate you," she mumbled into his warm chest, sneaking her arms around his middle nonetheless.

Kol sighed, resting his chin on top of her head and massaging her scalp reassuringly with one of his hands while the other tightened around her waist.

"You have nothing to worry about, love. My brother isn't as bad as he might seem, and I'm sure you'll have a great time."

He then loosened his grip a bit to look down into her eyes, grinning. "_And_, I promise you that when you come back, we'll spend the rest of your break together, so I can make it up to you."

Eventually, Caroline nodded, making Kol's eyes light up. "Whatever," she conceded, rolling her eyes. "But we're _so watching_ The Notebook once a week for the rest of your miserable life!"

Kol chuckled, lifting her up and twirling her around, making her laugh along with him. "You're the best, baby!"

"Plus," he continued, slightly out of breath, as soon as her feet had touched the ground again. "Nik said he's willing to pay you for it, so, see? Not all bad."

"Oh God, Kol! _Seriously_?" she groaned, swatting his forearm as strongly as she could before hiding her reddened, embarrassed face in her hands. "Because _that_ doesn't make me feel like a prostitute _at all_!"

Again, Kol couldn't help but chuckle. "You're adorable," he said, prying Caroline's hands away from her face and leaning down to meet her lips in a chaste kiss. "And no need to worry about that, because you're only ever allowed to have sex with me," he retorted, a mischievous smirk appearing on his lips.

"Oh, am I?" she challenged him teasingly, winding her arms more tightly around his neck.

"Obviously," he grinned. "Actually, on that note..."

He didn't finish his sentence, simply lifted her onto him once again, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as their lips met in a silent agreement.

Kol blindly walked them towards her bedroom, pushing her against the closed door. The action made them both moan as their lower parts came in contact.

He made quick work of her blouse, letting it drop to the floor, while Caroline reached out for the door's handle behind her, opening the door before passionately reclaiming Kol's lips with her own, teeth clinking and tongues dueling together.

Caroline was so caught up in the feeling of Kol's lips on hers, of his warm, hard body pressing against her soft one in the most delicious of ways, that she didn't even notice him moving them inside the room until she was being pushed down against the cool, cotton sheets of her bed.

His lips left hers, busying themselves with her bare neck, moving tantalizingly slow to leave a burning trail all the way down to her exposed cleavage.

"Kol," she panted, lightly pulling at his hair to make him look up at her. "Your shirt."

"What about it, love?" he asked, his voice hoarse and muffled as he kept kissing her upper body.

She could feel him smirk against her skin—_that jerk_.

"Off. Take it _off_!" she ordered impatiently.

"As you wish, darling," he complied, rising up on his knees above her and quickly getting rid of the offending garment.

"Much better," Caroline rasped out in a sultry voice, eyeing Kol's naked torso appreciatively.

She brought both her hands flat against his chiseled chest, tracing imaginary patterns, her fingers inching closer to where he wanted them the most agonizingly slow.

Finally, she hooked her index and middle fingers inside the waistband of his boxers. Using her other hand she undid the button and zip of his jeans, quickly lowering both those and his underwear down his taut legs, and then off as he kicked off his own shoes and socks.

She immediately took his already rather hard member in her hand, massaging him knowingly from the base to the tip and then back up a couple of times.

Kol groaned—if she kept that up it was all going to be over far too soon.

"Caroline, love," he panted, stilling her hand with his own as he lowered himself down over her body once again. "You seem unfairly overdressed to me, don't you think?"

Their lips met again, his tongue running past her teeth and curling against the roof of her mouth, leaving her breathless and arching into him.

He took that opportunity to bring one of his hands behind her back and quickly unfasten her bra. She hastily brought its straps down her arms herself, throwing the undergarment to the floor at the side of her bed.

"Someone's impatient today," Kol smirked, finally lowering his mouth down on one of her breasts while his left hand went to take care of the other, pinching its nipple between his fingers expertly.

"Kol," Caroline moaned out of breath, fisting the sheets in her hands. "_Please_."

Kol didn't need to ask what it was that she needed, as his hand left her breast and quickly caressed down her stomach to get to the waistband of her sweats, toying with them for a moment before bringing them down her long legs, taking her socks away too in the process.

He kissed and licked up her body, taking his time, nipping at her collarbone before claiming her lips once more.

He brought his arms around her, holding her as close as he could, but it still wasn't enough.

Squeezing her ass lightly, he released her mouth and finally hooked his hands inside her panties as she tried to regain her breath. He pulled the lacy number down her hips, then her thighs, past her knees and then finally her feet, slowly, caressing every inch of her glorious body with his hands.

If Kol wanted to take his time, Caroline had very different intentions.

She impatiently pulled at his arms, bringing him back up and taking his mouth, her tongue demanding entrance and moving ferociously against his own.

"I want you _now_," she commanded in a whisper against his lips, wasting no time as she took hold of his very ready member and guided him into her in one swift motion.

They both moaned in ecstasy at the incredible feeling of being joined as one, rocking their hips together against one another.

"Harder!" Caroline panted into his mouth, wrapping her lithe legs around his waist to allow him deeper access as he started to move faster and more intensely. "Yes, _yes_!"

Kol lowered his head to her breasts again, taking one of the nipples between his teeth and pulling at it—he knew exactly what to do to wind her up and make her come.

She scratched down his back with her nails, making his cock tighten at the combined feeling of pain and pleasure as she left temporary red marks on his skin.

Bringing one of his hands to where they were connected, he pinched her clit slightly between his fingers. Then, he rubbed against it in a firm, circular motion and added pressure, making her automatically buck against him in search of more friction.

Sensing they both were close, he left her breasts, resting his forehead against hers.

Her walls started to flutter around him and he increased the pace, slamming into her as fast and as hard as he could.

"_Baby_," he groaned, almost pleadingly.

Caroline nodded, panting. "I'm close."

One last flick of his wrist against her swollen clit and she came, hard, writhing under him as she moaned his name and kept on frantically gyrating her hips against his, helping him find and consume his own release shortly after.

Finally, he lay, spent, on top of her, his head on her chest as she ran her fingers through his brown, messy hair adoringly.

And she knew then, that she would always do whatever he would ask of her, no matter how insane, crazy or stupid. Because he loved her, and she loved him just as much—and that was all that mattered.

_(...)_

Rebekah scanned over the menu mindlessly—it _was_ her favorite restaurant after all, and she knew all their courses by heart—choosing to discretely scrutinize her brother from across the table instead.

She had been very pleasantly surprised that morning, when, although not before the fifth ring, Klaus had decided to finally answer her call for the first time in weeks.

It had hurt her that he had seemed distant and somehow on edge talking to her, but after getting him to agree to have lunch together, she couldn't really complain. Her brother was a difficult, troubled man, but she loved him nonetheless, and she was trying to learn not to let everything he did or say get to her.

_It's nothing personal_.

But she knew it was. No matter how much water had flowed under the figurative bridge, they were both still stuck to that day, and maybe they always would.

"So," Rebekah cleared her throat, resting her menu on the table. "I'm glad you can manage to go to New Orleans after all."

Klaus didn't even look up from his own menu as he answered. "Well, like you said, I had looked for those tickets everywhere. It would have been a waste to pass up such a great opportunity."

"Right..." she nodded attentively. "Is Camille happy about it?"

Klaus noticeably tensed at the question, but still his eyes didn't leave the menu in front of him. "Sure," he shrugged. "She seemed really excited about it," he added, trying to sound as casual as possible.

A genuine smile formed on Rebekah's lips. "I'm glad. I'm sure you two will have a great time. If she doesn't have to work, maybe you could spend a couple more days in Louisiana, I heard–"

"_Bekah_," Klaus warned, finally looking up at her. "We're staying for the art show, and that's it."

The Mikaelson girl pouted. "Alright," she conceded, only to speak up again after a moment. "Is it because you two are having problems?"

Klaus huffed, exasperated. "Rebekah, please, don't try and meddle into my romantic life."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Oh, please! You don't have a _romantic_ life, Nik. How much longer is Camille going to last anyway, mmh? A couple of days? Maybe a week?" she guessed, angrily—so much for not letting him get to her. "You treat everyone as if they're disposable! You're never going to find love that way."

"Oh, and _you_ are?" he laughed humorlessly, raising his voice and catching other people's attention as well as his sister's. "How long did Matt last? And then, Alexander?" he could see the tears forming in his sister's eyes but he was too far gone to stop now. Don't they say, after all, that attack is the best form of defense?

"So, maybe yes, I'll admit to that—I treat everyone as if they're disposable, a month of fun at most and then never again, but at least _I_ am not the one who always ends up getting used or hurt!"

There was a moment of silence then, everybody's eyes on the two Mikaelson siblings.

After a second, Rebekah got up from her chair, collecting her purse hastily over her shoulder, and looking everywhere but at her brother as she spoke one last time.

"Maybe you're right, maybe I trust too easily," she admitted, unable to hold back the tears that were now freely streaming down her face. "And I get played around, and used, and hurt... but at least _I try_, Nik. And _I live_. And I _feel something_ that isn't anger or regret," she paused for a moment, finally focusing her gaze into his, her eyes red with sadness and disappointment. "You might think you're better than everyone else because you claim to play by your own rules, but at the end of the day, you're nothing but a coward. And I feel sorry for you."

_(...)_

"Come on, love!" Kol chuckled, strolling Caroline's trolley through the airport as she silently followed behind him, arms angrily folded across her chest. "You can't really be mad at me now!"

Caroline scoffed. "Oh, but I can! Since, apparently, you decided not to tell me that I was also supposed to endure an almost three hours long flight in the sole company of your _wonderful_ brother!" she spat, almost petulantly.

Kol rolled his eyes. "Now now, love, don't be a judgy little thing," he teased. "And it's not like I voluntarily decided to leave out that piece of information, I just thought it went without saying. I mean, how ever did you think you two were going to get to New Orleans? Magical teleportation?"

She huffed. "I thought, I don't know, a freaking _normal_ plane maybe? With _other_ people on it?" she suggested, rolling her eyes. "And, you know, just get first class tickets if you're that picky,"—_or spoiled_, she added in her head. Because, like, _seriously_, who even uses private jets anymore, right? Only pretentious, arrogant jerks, that's who.

"Nik just likes to travel comfortable, that's all. And he knows you think he's an asshole already, with reason of course, so he wants to make a good impression this time," Kol explained, leading the way among the mass of people to get to the gate where Klaus had said his plane would be waiting. "He knows you're important to me," he added after a moment, hoping to quench Caroline's worries at least a little.

She stopped walking and pondered that for a moment. Eventually, she sighed.

"Alright, I'm sorry," she conceded, prompting Kol to turn around to look at her as he stopped walking as well.

"I know I'm overreacting, it's just that you know I've never really been anywhere, and now I'm going to spend four days in one of the most beautiful and full of culture cities in the world, with someone that I barely even know, _and_–"

"Ssh, love, it's okay," Kol interrupted her, caressing down her cheek with the knuckles of his free hand. "I promise you that you're going to have fun, and that Nik will be just fine. Don't stress out too much."

Caroline let out a nervous laugh, "Me? Not stressing out? Like _that_'s gonna happen!"

Kol joined in her laughter, lowering his head to quickly kiss her on the lips once before taking her hand in the one of his not holding the handle of her trolley.

"Just relax at least a tiny bit," he teased her with a smirk. "You're going to _love_ private flying, and New Orleans too. I know from experience you're the best at giving people who don't deserve it a chance, so just don't be too hard too soon on my brother, okay? And if you feel like it's all just too much, call me, and I'll come and get you immediately, I promise."

Caroline breathed out, intertwining their fingers together. "Okay," she nodded. "Let's go now, then. I don't want to risk my private jet leaving without me," she joked, tugging at Kol's hand almost excitedly.

They walked for another minute before finally Kol spotted Klaus waiting for them near one of the boarding gates.

"Hey," Klaus acknowledged both his brother and Caroline with a quick nod of his head. The whole my-brother's-girlfriend-pretending-to-be-_my_-girlfriend situation was very awkward for him as well, and he was unsure on how to approach Caroline, especially after the meeting dinner fiasco.

"No check-in?" Caroline asked, looking between Kol and Klaus in confusion as they moved away from the long lines of waiting families and tourists.

In her whole life, she had only flown once before, but she had been no more than twelve years old at the time and too excited at the prospect of finally seeing her father again after months away to really remember anything about it. So, obviously, she was no expert in flying, but she was still pretty sure skipping check-in meant jail or something. And like—_no, thank you_.

Kol smirked. "No need to confirm your ticket or boarding pass when you own the plane, baby."

"Oh... _right_." _Duh, Caroline Forbes, you're such a newbie_.

"We do have to go through a security check, though," Klaus added, clearing his throat and looking at her.

She shifted uncomfortably towards Kol. "Right, okay. I'm ready," she said, more to herself than to anybody else.

Klaus nodded and moved towards the security check gate, granting his brother and his girlfriend a moment alone to say goodbye.

"You'll be fine," Kol reassured her for the millionth time, tucking her blond hair behind her ears.

"I know," she sighed. "You just know how I get," she laughed, albeit a bit breathlessly. "Super neurotic control freak over here."

Kol smiled down at her as she rose up on her tiptoes to meet his lips in a searing kiss. "I'll miss you," she whispered as they parted.

"I'll miss you too, love. Call me when you land?"

Caroline nodded, resting her cheek against his chest to seep into his warmness one last time.

Kol patted her hair lovingly. "Don't be too sad, okay? I mean, just think about all the fun phone sex we're going to have!"

"Wha–God, Kol! _Gross_!" she reproached him, leaving his embrace and punching him right in the stomach.

"I'm sure you won't consider it gross once it actually happens," he retorted, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Too bad it's _not_ going to happen."

Kol rolled his eyes. "We'll see. Now go before they actually leave you here."

Their lips met once more. "I love you," Kol said.

"I love you, too."

Then Caroline took hold of her trolley and finally marched towards the gate.

_(...)_

"Are you okay?" Klaus asked Caroline soon after they had taken off. "You look rather pale, sweetheart."

Caroline turned sideways to look at him, eyebrows knitted in confusion and a tiny bit of annoyance—what the hell was it with Mikaelsons and charming terms of endearment?

"No, it's okay, I'm fine. Just not used to flying, is all."

Klaus nodded in understanding. "If maybe you would have preferred a scheduled flight–"

She shook her head with a smile. "No, don't worry. It's all good, _really_," she stressed.

"If you say so..." Klaus conceded. "I'm sorry, by the way," he added after a moment of silence, surprising Caroline as she looked at him with wide eyes.

They both knew what he was referring to, but he continued anyway.

"I know I acted like the biggest jerk towards you and Kol that evening. I promise I'm not really like that," he said. "Well, not all the time," he added then, almost as an afterthought, not thoroughly convinced himself.

Caroline let out a genuine laugh. "Well, I would hope so, since we have four days to spend together."

Klaus smiled. "I should really thank you, too. I know this whole thing we're doing is probably really contorted, but it means a lot to me."

"Nah, don't worry," Caroline waved him off with her hand. "But I do hope your credit cards are well loaded, because Kol said you're willing to pay for everything I need or want," she added, a teasing glint in her eyes revealing that she was only joking.

Klaus chuckled wholeheartedly. "Of course. I _do know_ how to treat a lady, dear Caroline."

* * *

**A/N: Waaaaaah, Klaus and Caroline's feeeeeels! *singing **_**love is in the aiiiiiir**_*** Can I fangirl over my own story? No, eh? That's what I feared. Anywayyyy, who wants them to have hot, crazy, wild and passionate plane bathroom sex? … Naaah, just kidding. Obviously, **_**duh**_**. Also because I had never written smut before this story, so that might get weird. **_**But**_**, cheers to Kol and Caroline for popping my M-rating cherryyyyy! *fist pump* I hope you enjoyed that scene, and that it wasn't too awkward or anything because I just kind of went with the flow. I would actually like to point out how I had them taking off their shoes as well (well, only Kol, actually, because in my head Caroline had slippers on, since she was at home and it was early in the morning and all that, and she quickly lost those when she wrapped her legs up around Kol's waist, so yeaaah) because nobody **_**ever**_** does that and it just sort of makes no sense to me... like, **_**seriously**_**. Anyway, I'm actually going to be **_**so sad**_** about breaking Kol and Caroline up when the time comes, sigh sigh.**

**Also, I absolutely loved writing the Klaus/Rebekah interaction *wipes tears*, and I really hope you loved reading it as well. I'm sure you can tell something has happened between them in the past that has really strained their relationship, and eventually it will become clearer, although it might take some time.**

**I also want to say that I have no idea how private flying works (**_**yet**_**, since one day I'm going to marry a very handsome millionaire, be awesome, and have a couple of ****private jets myself), so I hope the whole airport thing they went through made sense.**

**A lot of Klaus/Caroline to come in the next few chapters, aaaaand, that's all! I feel really inspired lately, so I might update again sooner than expected!**

**Au-revoir, Giulia.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AU/AH. When Klaus told his brother Kol to get his head together, he didn't necessarily mean for him to start the first serious relationship of his life with a woman so beautiful. He didn't mean to fall in love with her either. Kol/Caroline, eventually Klaus/Caroline.**

**A/N: Hello there! First of all, I really want to thank every and each single one of you who has voted this story as Best OT3 Fiction at the Klaroline Awards. I was so ecstatic at have even been nominated in the first place, because it was so unexpected and it made me feel so appreciated, I would have never thought I could actually win. So thank you, from the deep bottom of my heart, this really means the world to me and it just gave me even more desire to write and update for you all. By the way, if you want to check the winner banner the story received, there's a link to it on my profile.**

**Also, the biggest thank you's obviously go to my beta, Bethany, and Leah (approvesomuch), who made an amazing new cover for the story!**

**That's all, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"Okay. _Yes_, Kol, I promise," Caroline giggled into her phone. "I love you, too. Bye."

She sighed as she put her Nokia back into her handbag and looked outside of the car's window.

After he had thanked her for helping him out with the whole girlfriend thing, her and Klaus hadn't really spoken much during their flight, and Caroline was grateful that the silence, somehow, hadn't been an uncomfortable one—she had listened to her iPod and done some school reading while he had composedly sketched away on his leather notebook.

Once they had landed, she had been pleasantly surprised to hear that, since theirs was a private flight, they didn't need to wait to retrieve their bags and belongings from where they had been stored inside the jet itself, at the back—_"We were the only people on the plane,"_ Klaus had stated with a shrug noticing her puzzled expression. _Obviously_. But Caroline couldn't really complain when it got them outside the airport in only fifteen minutes.

Klaus had also arranged to have someone waiting for them there, which was why Caroline was currently seated inside a very fancy and probably expensive, Italian?—_maybe_—black car driving them to the hotel they would be staying at for the following four days.

"It won't be much longer," Klaus' voice broke through her reveries, taking her contemplation for boredom. "We should be there in ten minutes at most."

"Oh, it's okay," she reassured him with a somehow strained smile, turning to look at him.

Honestly, it didn't seem to her that they had been driving for long, but she quickly conceded in her head that she had probably spent close to twenty minutes or more talking on the phone with Kol, whom she had called as soon as she had entered the car. She figured she didn't really need to apologize for that, but _she was_ Caroline Forbes after all, her life was one, big apology.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled out quickly.

Klaus' head shot towards her, his eyebrows corrugated and slightly raised, a confused expression on his face.

"I've been terrible company so far," she elaborated before he could ask, a nervous smile on her lips.

For a moment, she thought he might have laughed at her then, but instead he became very serious.

"Please, Caroline, do not feel like you have to entertain me," he smiled faintly, almost sad. "Of course, I would love for us to become friends while we're here, but I do not want you to feel obligated to act a certain way towards me or around me. You're already helping me... and you're my guest here, so I want you to feel at ease and free to do and go as you please."

Caroline felt a little surprised at his speech, and merely nodded her head, unsure of what to say.

They both stayed silent for a moment, and she turned her head to look outside of the window once again.

"Of course, maybe not really _go_ as you please," he chuckled. "Kol would have my head if I lost you or if something were to happen to you," he added with a teasing tone to lighten up the suddenly tense mood.

"I could serve as your guide of the city," he suggested after a moment. "If you'd like that?"

Caroline quickly turned to look at him once more, a genuine smile on her lips and big, wide eyes excited to see and learn. "I would love that, Klaus."

_(...)_

"That would be all for now, thank you Thomas," Klaus politely thanked the porter, tipping him probably more than Caroline earned in a week as she saw him pass the young boy a couple of fifty dollar bills.

He carefully closed the door and turned towards her.

"I hope it's okay that I chose adjoining rooms. I just thought it would be more convenient," he said, moving further inside the room and placing four key cards on the small, round table at the side of the king bed.

"Uhm, sure," Caroline replied, not thoroughly convinced. While she had enjoyed the little bit of talking her and Klaus had done so far, she didn't exactly feel comfortable knowing he could just barge inside her room as he pleased.

Klaus caught on her hesitation. "I'll leave you both cards for the through door, if that's better?"

"Yes, thank you," she sighed, a grateful smile on her lips.

With a quick nod, he tentatively smiled back at her. "Don't worry, I understand we are still strangers. And like I said before, I want you to feel comfortable here."

"Thank you," Caroline repeated, not really knowing what else to say.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, both looking around at the room.

"Well, I think I'll go take a shower now," Klaus said, taking the key card to his own room and slowly moving backwards towards the door.

"Oh, you can use–" Caroline stammered out quickly.

"No, it's okay," he reassured her with a small smile. "I'll just use the normal door. But feel free to come to me in case you need anything, that's why I chose adjoining rooms in the first place."

Caroline simply nodded—she felt like she was doing that a lot around him.

"And, uhm. There's the first art show tonight, so..." he trailed off hesitantly.

"Oh, sure! That's why we came here after all."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I don't know what you packed but you'll need a rather elegant dress. It's, uhm, going to be kind of a fancy thing."

"_Oh_. I should have–I mean–_right_,"she exhaled, closing her eyes and bringing her hands up to her head to massage her temples. "I should have thought about it."

Klaus scratched the back of his head for a second. "No, it's my fault really, I should have told Kol. It's just that everything happened in such a rush, I didn't think."

"We can go shopping if you'd like," he suggested after a moment, trying to find a way out. "All on me, of course."

Caroline pondered that for a moment. She really wanted to say no because, _hey_,Caroline Forbes does not like using other people's money, who do you think she is?—but she hadn't really brought anything even remotely worthy of the word _fancy_ with her, so shopping was really the only solution they had.

"Alright... I guess," she answered a little uncertainly.

"Good, it's settled then," Klaus concluded with a smile, clapping his hands together once. "We can both freshen up and then you can just come to my room or knock when you're ready to go."

Caroline nodded. "That sounds perfect."

"Yeah..." he agreed, moving towards the door again. "Okay, I'll go. See you later," he added, although it came out almost like a question.

She nodded again once. "See you later."

_(...)_

"Uhm," Caroline hesitated, not daring to enter the door of the very expensive store Klaus was leading her into, looking up at the bright sign above their heads.

They had been walking for over twenty minutes now, and while she had tried to tell Klaus she didn't want nor need anything _overly_ fancy as they passed stores like Macy's and the already too-elegant-for-her-comfort Ann Taylor, he seemed on a mission to get her the dress of her life as he politely dismissed her protests and kept on leading the way through the mass of people dancing around them.

Klaus turned to look at her, his hand already pushing the door open for her. "Something wrong?" he asked with knitted eyebrows and that hint of concern Caroline was beginning to notice every time she did something out of the ordinary. _Like, I don't know, not wanting to enter a store most women would kill to go shopping in_.

She wanted to roll her eyes and say _'Gucci, mister Ass? Seriously?'_, but they weren't at that level of confidence with each other yet, so she opted for a strained, and slightly panicked, smile.

"Do you know how much dresses cost in here?" she asked with a pointed look.

Klaus gave her a faint, kind smile. "I told you, Caroline. It's all on me," he reminded her in a soft tone, almost as if he was talking to a child.

Caroline exhaled angrily, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I don't want you to spend that much money on me," she bit back, almost petulantly. "I'm not even really your girlfriend, and I don't care if it's a _fancy thing_ or whatever, I doubt anybody will really even notice what I'm wearing."

Amused by her little outburst, Klaus couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.

Caroline huffed, turning her head to the side. "And now he's laughing at me, _great_."

"I'm not laughing at you, sweetheart," he said, the hint of a laughter still present in his tone, bringing one of his hand in front of him as if apologizing. "But I have to say, anger is quite endearing on you," he added, prompting Caroline to roll her eyes.

"And believe me, people _will_ look at you. I don't want you to get nervous about it, but that kind of people are used to scrutinizing and judging for a living, of course they will notice how we are dressed, how we talk, how we act. You will feel more comfortable knowing you're wearing something worthy of your beauty."

Caroline scoffed, turning to look at him again with raised eyebrows and purposely ignoring his compliment. "Isn't that a little classist?" she accused, sure that she definitely _was not_ going to feel more comfortable in high heels and a tight dress.

He shrugged. "Maybe. But that's how my world works. Now," he paused for a moment, looking rather annoyed by her comment and attitude. After all, all he had wanted to do was show her that he was capable of not being a jerk the whole time, but she had only shown hostility and acted defensively—that _was not_ how the day was supposed to go. "Should we get you a proper dress or not?"

Caroline opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more, shout at him, demand him to take her back to the hotel. She started wondering if maybe it was too soon to call Kol and ask him to come and get her, because—_hey_, who did Klaus think he was ordering her around and choosing where to buy her clothes for her? They were not in a _What Not to Wear_ episode, and he most definitely had no right to boss her around only because he wanted to impress his sister's friends. What was he, seven?

Instead, she clenched her jaw—how had this man put her in a mood in less than a minute?—simply straightened her shoulders, and walked right past him as he kept the door open for her.

Klaus closed his eyes for a second, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers in a nervous habit before hastily following her inside the store.

So much for having made some tiny progress. They were back to square one.

The sudden hostility became even more evident as Klaus barely paid any attention to Caroline once inside the store, immediately entrusting her to the help of a very eager shop assistant who had all but smiled ear from ear as he asked her to find something elegant and expensive for his friend. _Friend_. Yeah, _as if_.

He wondered mindlessly through the store, somehow upset at her fickle behavior. _Pot, kettle_. Yes, _he knew_. But she had seemed just fine up until minutes before, and he was confused. Never before in his whole life had he had problems with persuading a woman to let him buy something for her; she had caught him off guard. And for someone like Klaus, who despite the myriad of well-built walls he hid behind, could easily read other people—the perk of being an art expert, _an observer_, living on the sidelines—and was just as easily bored by them, was something completely new, completely unexpected.

It both bothered him and intrigued him, that for some reason, he hadn't been able to decipher her yet. Granted, it had only been a couple of hours, yes, but he usually prided himself of being not only a good, but a quick judger at that. Most of the times, it was easy, really. People were selfish, shallow, narrow-minded. There very rarely was more than that to them.

But_ Caroline_—she never seemed to act on a singular line of thought. She was constantly switching from one trait of her personality to another, constantly on edge, torn between falling and resisting just a bit longer, just some more. She was in a constant state of second guessing her own intentions and going up a completely unexpected road on a whim, some sort of silent protest to herself.

It was something that forced Klaus well far out of his comfort zone, a zone he wasn't willing to leave so easily.

No, the enigma that was Caroline Forbes had to be resolved. Because, _come on_, she was dating _Kol,_ for God's sake, she really could not be that interesting at the end of day. _No_, she had to be analyzed and stripped of what only _seemed_ to make her out of the ordinary, she had to be _boredified_ just like everybody else; and luckily for Klaus, he had four days to do just that.

_(...)_

Caroline ended up choosing—although she much preferred the term being coerced to buy—a black, jersey and lace dress, and some ridiculously high black _Gucci_ pumps (one expensive store was more than she could handle in one day and with a grumpy Klaus at her heels). Not that she didn't love the dress, mind you, quite the opposite really—_she was_ a girl; what she didn't like at all was spending so much of another person's money, even if this person had been the one asking, or more like forcing, her to spend said money. But mostly, she just really hated the idea of being about to be used as a nice, shiny, wrapped-in-expensive-nylon, piece of jewelry on Klaus' arm and nothing more. And a mute one at that, apparently.

Klaus had indeed informed her on their way back to the hotel that Camille was an Art History major and that therefore, in order to not let their cover be blown because _hey, does your sister have freaking bugs hidden on her friends or something?_, Caroline should just refrain from commenting on the exposed works and paintings. At all. _"Obviously, sweetheart, you don't have as much knowledge on the matter,"_—oh, yeah? Well, do you want to get intimate with my knowledge in kicking your arrogant, high-class, British rich ass back to _Neverland_, UK?

Somehow, she had managed to hold back her tongue, and had merely flashed him a very strained, very fake smile, as he grinned in satisfaction and quickened his pace, leaving her to trail angrily behind him.

Caroline scoffed. Was he seriously mad at her for having being hostile at the idea of _spending his freaking money_? Had she flown to New Orleans that morning or into some sort of alternative universe? What the hell was wrong with that man?

So what, she had been a little difficult, she would admit to that. But _hey_, she was in a foreign city with an obviously very easily annoyed almost stranger—she had a moment, _sue her_. And seriously, _he should know_. Chances were sky high that a full-size, high-resolution photo of none other than mister Klaus Mikaelson himself could be found in every dictionary next to the word '_difficult_'. So, really, let's not go there, shall we?

Finally, Caroline let out a sigh of relief as the building of their hotel came into view. She took a look at her phone and noticed that it was already half past two and she had completely forgotten about lunch. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled embarrassingly, and she had never been more grateful that the streets were crowded and loud and that Klaus was enough far ahead to not hear it.

She hugged her black leather jacket more tightly around her frame as she marched towards the hotel's entrance surrounded by the chilly New Orleans' air. Apparently, the temperatures had considerably lowered today, _go figure_. Or so that nagging shop assistant had told her anyway, because what did _she_ know about New Orleans after all?

The doorman opened the lavish glass door for them, and, ever the gentleman, Klaus let her go in first. Old habits die hard, apparently, even when he's mad. Caroline just _had_ to roll her eyes.

She gladly welcomed the much more comfortable temperature of the hotel's lobby, stopping to look behind her at Klaus for him to lead the way. Certainly, she could have very well walked up to her room by herself, but she wasn't that inconsiderate. Although, she wouldn't really put it past Klaus to storm inside the elevator without sparing her a glance.

Instead, Klaus smirked, at least apparently more composed than he had been when they had exited the store. _Talk about PMS-ing_.

"If you want to go freshen up, I was thinking we could have lunch at the restaurant in, say," he shrugged his right arm, bunching up his coat's sleeve with the other hand, and looked down at his silver wristwatch. "Fifteen minutes?"

Grateful she wouldn't have to resort to room service, but still hesitant towards Klaus, Caroline gingerly nodded her head affirmatively.

"Good. I'll go make sure they keep a table reserved for us. Let's meet back here, then."

"Okay," she agreed with a small smile, before turning to walk towards one of the elevators.

Back in her room, Caroline took her time to wash her hands and face and change into some warmer clothes. For a moment, she pondered texting Kol to keep him updated on the Klaus front, but she figured he would already be worrying enough without knowing they already had their first argument in the short span of a couple of hours.

That man was seriously giving her the headache of her life with all of his sudden mood changes. So, now they were sort of friends again? Not that she minded, because, _really_, she would have not survived another three and a half day with a brooding Klaus, but it was all so confusing. She was majoring in _Psychology_, how hard could it be to understand how to handle him, right? _Right_. She just had to remember to leave her over-reacting, dramatic, tantrums-throwing personality locked in a drawer for a couple more days. She was Caroline Forbes, she could do it.

Sighing, she looked at herself in the large mirror hanging from one of the walls of the luxurious ensuite bathroom, carelessly throwing her hair up in a quick bun. She really had no idea what she would do with this messy hair of hers for the art show tonight.

Since they had been on foot, Klaus had arranged for her dress and shoes to be delivered by the store to the hotel later in the afternoon, and for that she was immensely grateful. Clumsy and incident-prone Caroline Forbes in the same room with not only one, but _two_, highly expensive possessions for a whole day? _No, thank you_.

She ran her hands over her face once more before finally deciding her fifteen minutes were probably up. She took her phone and went back downstairs, where she spotted Klaus waiting for her near the spacious stairs that gave way to the hotel's luxurious restaurant.

"Ready?"

"Yup!" she answered, jovially popping the 'p' and earning herself a weird, almost analyzing, look from Klaus.

After a second, he simply sighed and entered the restaurant, dismissively waving off an attendant trying to lead them to their table as he made his way to it himself instead. He politely helped Caroline to her chair, pulling it out for her, and then went to sit at the opposite side of the elegantly set table.

Caroline picked up one of the two menus and opened it in front of her, scanning through the various dishes with a hint of uncertainty.

"I hope, sweetheart," Klaus cleared his throat and she looked up at him, eying his smirking face warily. "That you won't mind to know I have already taken care of ordering a delicious salad for you."

Caroline's eyebrows furrowed, hiding behind a fallen band of her blond hair. Over-reacting drawer of her personality?—_Wide open_.

"Are you _fucking serious_?" she whisper-yelled indignantly, catching the attention of an elderly couple with her inappropriate wording. "You–_ugh_. You're seriously not even worth the calories I burn talking to you!" she slammed her hands against the table's surface and rose from her chair. "_I swear to God_–"

"Please, dear, sit down. You're making a scene," he mocked her.

Caroline gasped, even more outraged, her glare cutting through him like a knife. _Oh, if only she had a real knife_. And, hey, she actually had one because—cutlery, anybody?

But he was still smirking and she just wanted to slap him, _and_–

"I was only joking, by the way."

–_ugh_.

She sat back down, aware of having most people's eyes on her, and put the menu back up in front of her, mostly to try and cover her very much reddened face than for anything else.

"It wasn't funny," she seethed through gritted teeth.

"Of course not, sweetheart. My bad. British humor and all that," he apologized and she could _hear_ the smug grin on his lips.

"More like British damaged brain," she whispered back. _Seriously_, what_ the hell_ was wrong with this man? One minute he was swaying between ignoring her and looking at her in a way that made her feel like some sort of scientific project, and the next one he was cracking jokes? _Bipolar, much_?

But despite herself, Caroline had to bite back a smile at the mental image of how terribly awkward and out of place she must have looked standing up outraged in the middle of a full, classy and expensive restaurant.

"I'm going to have to order at least half a dozen lobsters now. To make you pay for it, you know," she added, raising her chin pompously. _Two could play this game_.

He looked surprised for a second at her quip, but he quickly hid that behind a somewhat satisfied smile. "I'm sorry to inform you, sweetheart, but unfortunately they do not serve lobster here," he answered.

"_Whaaat_?" Caroline put her menu back on the table between them and looked at him teasingly. "Excuse me, but what kind of half-assed five-star hotel did you bring me to?"

Klaus laughed wholeheartedly, probably about to answer something himself again, but any comeback he might have had was cut short by the arrival of their waiter.

If anything, as they ordered their food, the mood between them had finally lightened up again, one way or another. If their interactions so far were any indication, the rest of the day wasn't going to be any boring, and maybe—_just maybe_—it wouldn't be as bad as they had thought either.

* * *

**A/N: Here's to hoping these first proper Klaus/Caroline interactions didn't disappoint you! At first, I wanted to put the art show in this chapter as well, and I'm sorry I ended up cutting this so short, but I really wanted to update for you guys before college started, and I also thought it would be cute to end it like this. To be honest, I'm still not sure when my classes will actually start, but since this is going to be my first year, and I don't really know what to expect, I didn't want to risk getting too caught up with everything else and leaving you hanging for longer than necessary. I hope to be able to publish one more chapter before September ends, but I can't make any promises. Reviews certainly make me want to update faster, so hit that box, my lovelies.**

**Also, I know it might seem weird that Klaus and Caroline just sort of go from almost friends to sworn enemies to best buddies all so quickly. To be completely honest, it's mostly because that's just how this chapter came to me—and believe me, this is the most sense I could put into it—but I promise it will all make more sense in the next chapter(s). Klaus does have a plan to 'borify' Caroline after all. I don't just put things out there for no reason, I swear, ahah.**

**That would be all, sooooo,**

**until next time, Giulia.**


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